Goshinboku
by ButterflyMiko
Summary: Maka and Jyu are new students at Ben's school, and they cause a stir from the Omnitrix. Ben finds himself cooperating with a new hero called Chaos. Gwen, Charmcaster, Esther, and Julie all feel protective of the new heroine. New powers, New Villains, New heroes, and New challenges for Ben 10!
1. Invasion

On a comet in space was a great tree. A male and female alien sat in its branches.

"I am going to die if you don't bring me human lives..." the alien tree spoke. "You are the last of your species. Feed me and care for each other."

The female alien flicked out a seed from her hair.

"Drain the life of a human and bring their soul to the great Goshinboku!"

The male alien smiled. "Soon we will have enough to rebirth our planet."

Xxx

"Class we are going to welcome two new students: Maka and Jyu." Mrs Mayuko said.

A handsome boy stood there with a very pretty girl.

They looked similar, but they didn't seem to be related.

At any rate, the Omnitrix didn't seem to like them.

And neither did the girl Ben had a crush on: Kuri Hikawa.

She was all tensed up and looked extremely upset.

Jyu came and sat next to Kuri.

"It would be great if you'd agree to a date with me, Kuri." Jyu said.

"In your dreams." Kuri shot back.

Ben suppressed a laugh. Kuri was very hard to ask out, he knew that for sure. She had yet to agree to a date with him!

Maka looked over at Ben, tossed her blonde hair, and winked.

It was too bad she wasn't his type!

The bell rang for school to end.

Ben headed outside, and there was a strange scuffle. An alien of some kind—some sort of plant—was absorbing the life of one of the teachers.

A girl dropped down from a tree, even as Ben touched his Omnitrix.

He changed into Swampfire and threw flames at the alien.

The girl was wearing black shorts, a black bikini top with a gold star at her heart. Her hair was long and dark, and her eyes were dark blue like the night sky. Around her head was a gold circlet.

She held out her hand and a silver light struck the alien and it turned to stardust.

"Who are you?" Ben asked.

"I am Chaos."


	2. Battle Angel

Julie spied Ben and his new girlfriend Kuri hanging out at the bookstore. She wasn't really upset about it; after all she had a new boyfriend herself.

Suddenly Jetray flew out and a girl wearing black landed next to him.

Out of the bookstore came an alien made of what looked to be paper.

Jetray attacked, but he couldn't get a clear shot; the alien was too fast.

Ship bounded over to Julie and suited her up in what seemed to be battle armor. He'd never done that before.

Using the weapons system, she shot out a mist that paralyzed the alien.

"Julie?! What are you doing?!" Jetray said.

"I'm not here for you!" Julie snapped. "I-I have to keep her safe!"

Julie stood protectively in front of Chaos, and fired her weapons at the alien, finishing it off.

After that Ship deactivated and leapt into her arms.

"Sorry it took me so long to come, maiden." Julie said, inclining her head to Chaos, and ignoring Ben.

"Do you know each other?" Jetray asked.

"She's Battle Angel. One of my soldiers."


	3. Embers

What are we doing on a bus?" Ben demanded.

"I don't see you with a car." Kuri replied, pulling him on board.

"Why are we riding a bus?" Julie said. "There are plenty of other methods of transit."

Kuri rolled her eyes. "Yes. But she is on this one. I know it."

Standing on the bus, keeping a watchful eye, was an alien woman, who gave off some serious heat..

The bus lurched, and children screamed.

"Can we get off the bus now?" Ben asked sarcastically.

Kuri only growled at him.

The bus entered another world, and the passengers were led off into a corner.

"Show yourself Chaos!" An alien stood there.

Kuri realized he was from the Makajiu planet. She moved to attack, when the alien from the bus stepped forward.

"Maka, this isn't what you want to do." She said. "You and your wife don't really want this."

"You can't give me anything. Only she can! You are useless to me!" Maka lurched forward with an attack.

The woman easily evaded, and fire hit Maka, burning all the plants. The strange dimension began to fade.

"Who are you?" Julie pointed her blade at the woman.

"I am the Ember Warrior. But you can call me Ester."


	4. Masquerade

Julie, Ester, and Kuri were dressed in dresses to attend a masquerade ball.

They were searching for the next member of their team, whom Kuri had assured them would be at this party.

A lady spilled a drink onto Kuri's dress and she went to clean it up, but before she leaves, a handkerchief falls from her. Ben saw it fall from her and picked it up.

Kuri looks around. "I can't find the bathroom," she said. "Julie, Ester... Where did they go? I look like a princess, but... I'm alone. This is so boring."

"A beautiful princess," a man said as he approached Kuri. "Let's dance."

"Ben!?" Kuri said. "You said you didn't want to come." They started to dance. "Oh, I've wanted to be with you," she said.

"Me too," said Ben.

But just then, Julie called and Ben disappeared. Kuri thought to herself, _"Oooh...I wish I could stay with him..."_

Kuri was searching for her friends when she was attacked by one of the monsters that knocked her off the balcony.

Kuri stuck out her arm as she plummets to the ground. A gloved hand grabbed it, holding her. Kuri looked up. "Ben!?"

Kuri then heard Julie through her phone calling for her help. Ben began to lose his grip. Kuri used her pen, which then began to grow.

It shot up, and an umbrella opened out of it. Kuri fell, carrying Ben over the balcony. They slowly drifted to the ground.

"Today, you saved me," Ben said. "I thank you." He ran off into the moonlight.

"No..." said Kuri, fingering her star pendant. "It's always you who saves me."

Kuri became Chaos. She began to fight the monster on the terrace.

Battle Angel and Ember Warrior were having trouble and couldn't defeat the monster.

Suddenly, a light appeared in Chaos' hands: "My body's growing warm. Like I feel with Ben..."

Ben appeared on the balcony ledge behind Kuri. "Chaos!" he says. "You must extinguish the darkness! You need a powerful light!"

Chaos lifted her sword. "TSUBASA!"

She leapt down off the terrace as the monster was defeated.

She fainted into Ben's arms.

"You're just who I wanted to see..." Chaos said.

He places a pillow beside a pillar on the balcony outside, and rested her against it. He leaned forward, and gently touched his lips to hers. He kissed her deeply.

_"Oh... This feeling... So familiar... Sometime... Somewhere... So soft and warm... It's happened before... Those sweet lips..."_, he thought.

"Get away from Kuri!" called Ember Warrior. "Ben! What are you doing? Why do you always show up where we are?"

He stood up. "I don't know. But I will always be on the side of the Tennyo."

Battle Angel stepped forward. "Are you our enemy," she says, "or our friend?"

"Well," Ben said, "if we're both after the same thing... perhaps I'm your enemy." He looked at the two of them.


	5. Painted Lady

"Be careful around Ben." Julie said.

"That's right." Ester said. "We don't know who he really is."

_"Ben..."_ Kuri thinks as she walks. _"What's wrong with me... Every time I hear his name, my heart flutters. He's so familiar... It's like I knew him a long time ago..."_

Kai Green was trying to get away from her an alien bride that was attacking her.

Ben saw this and rushed to Kuri's house.

Kuri saw Ben. "Is this a dream? Ben?"

Kuri runs, following the man in front of her. "Where are we going?" she wonders. "Ben... Where are you taking me?"

He takes her to Kai being attacked.

In a blast of red magic, Kai became the Painted Lady and destroyed the bride in a rush of exploding lights. She then fell to her knees and Kuri rushed to help her.

Ben looked at them and rushed into the night.

Kuri's sword began to glow and lengthened.

"The Aether Sword..."


	6. Omnitrix

"Ben? Why... why is he here!?" Kuri thinks to herself. She asks him, "Where am I?"

"This is my apartment," Ben says.

She looks around the room. "Ben's apartment...?" she thinks. "I'm in this guy's apartment..."

"Do you remember?" he asks.

Kuri's eyes widen. She looks on the couch. Ben's clothes, the green and gold armor that made him Asgardian...

"After you used that power," Ben says, "you fell down, asleep."

"I remember..." Kuri thinks. "That low voice..." She looks at him. "That watch..." She stands up and walks over to the couch. She picked up the helmet. "But... I didn't notice..." She goes to him. "The deep color of his eyes..." She placed her hand over Ben's watch. "Ben 10...?"

"Why?" she asks.

"To get my memory back," he says, "I have to get the Omni Crystal."

"Your memory?"

"I got the Omnitrix when I was ten." Ben said. "But I can't remember anything else. Not anything from my past. But...I did remember you, Kuri, I mean, Chaos."

"I have these dreams where you were calling to me, telling me the secret to my memory was the Omni Stone." Ben looked up. He looks at Kuri. "What about you? You're looking for it too, right?" he says. "Why?"

"Well... I'm..." She scratches her head. "I don't really know why. But I remember I must find and protect it."

"I see."

_"So that's his reason," _Kuri thinks.

Their eyes meet. Ben puts his hand on her shoulder. " Kuri's heart jumps. "Here's your bag," he says, holding up her bookbag. She takes it and he leaves the room.

She lifts the star-shaped watch from her skirt. "He brought this for me... A broken pocket watch."

Ben stands by a dresser. "Night has fallen already." He holds the handkerchief Kuri dropped at the masked ball. He kisses it gently, as Kuri, at the same time, kisses the watch.

Kuri headed home, and in a swarm of nanomachines, a woman landed in front of her; Elena Validus.

"I am the Swarm Queen." She said. "I have the Omni Stone, and I am the one you have sworn to protect, Chaos."

Kuri was full of both hope and despair.


	7. Oath Sworn

Swarm Queen is shown to have a star mark on her forehead and Julie says

"She really is the one we came to protect. The Celestial Maiden."

Xxx

"Maiden," the man calls.

Kurai turns, and sees him being swept away. The man screams in pain. Kurai then also screams his name, with tears pouring like rivers from her eyes, "Ben!"

Xxx

"No!" Kurai sits up. In bed. She looks around. "A dream...?"

She goes over to the window and stretches. "After meeting the Celestial Maiden, I've been having that dream... 'Maiden...' he calls. To me?"

Xxx

A woman called Maka was attacking the warriors.

"Go to the tower!" Swarm Queen said.

Kurai had a bad feeling.

Kurai holds her hands to her mouth. "I feel something bad is going to happen," she thinks to herself. "Ben!? I wonder if he's all right. He's not hurt, is he? Ben..."

xxx

Ben sits up in bed. "That dream..." he says. "Someone calling to me...? My head hurts... What's going on!?"

He looks out the window. "A blackout!? What's over there? A single light..." All he see is one single bright light in the dark city. He gets up and took out his Omnitrix. He feels Kurai is in danger.

Kurai is now battling Maka and has used her swords power to restore power to the city. But then Maka blasts her and she falls off of the Tower.

"Oh no!" she cries. "I'm falling!"

She lands in the arms of Ben as Jetray. He winks at her. "Ben! I don't believe it... You saved me again!" She hugs her arms around him and tells him, "There's danger! The enemy is beating us! We can't run away from here." Then she reaches up and kisses him, and flies back up to the top of the tower.

Jetray holds his hand over his mouth as he watches her leave. "Chaos...! You're strong today. Every time we meet, I see a different side of you. Were you a different person before? What kind of girl are you!? Who are you, really!?"

Chaos runs back to the senshi, whose powers are all being sucked up by Maka.

Kurai's eyes widen. "Get out of here!" she calls to the others. "Hurry!" She thinks to herself, "He's going to attack with his stored energy!? I have to get the Celestial Maiden to a safe place. I have to protect her!" She points the sword at the girls, and a sphere of light encircles them, carrying them away.

"Kurai!?" Swarm Queen calls. "Chaos! Damn!"

A large mass of energy gathers around Maka. She is going to attack Chaos,

Swarm Queen yells to the others, "Protect Chaos! Hurry!"

The energy blasts toward Kurai.

"I have to save her," Jetray says. "This time, I'll do it!" Remembering instantly, that he could not save her once before, a very long time ago. The memory stirs him into action, with no thought for his own safety. All he sees is Kurai and that he loves her, and she is in danger.

He jumps up and dashes in front of her. The blast strikes, piercing him through the chest and transforming him back into Ben.

Kurai yells in shock as Ben falls to the ground. "Ben!?"

Ben sees a girl hazily through his eyes. "Someone's calling to me..." he thinks. "That long hair... In my dream, always calling me... Is it you? Chaos?"

"Ben!" Kurai cries. "Stay with me! Open your eyes!"

"Such a sad face," he thinks. "Why is she crying?" He sees an image in his mind. "This has happened before..."

"Ben!" the girl cries. "Ben!"

"Ben..." he thinks. "That's my name... I remember. I was born here as a human. To meet with you..."

He reaches up. "Celestial Maiden..." he cried out, before his body goes limp.

"No!" Kurai says. "Noooo!" she screams. A silvery black light, like space, glows around the two.

"Chaos!?" the other girls call.

A star appeared on Chaos' skin The girls gasp. "The mark...! Celestial Maiden!?"


	8. To Infinity

The mark on Swarm Queen's forehead disappears, replaced with her ordinary helmet.

Kurai holds Ben's head. She is now sitting in a flowing gold and black dress. She takes out her moon watch. "Ben's broken pocket watch..." she thinks as tears stream from her eyes. "It's starting to go in the opposite direction. Time's going backwards... I feel the memory of the past. It's so sad..."

"I remember," Ember Warrior says. "About us... We're Kaguya's four guardian soldiers...! Born to protect the Celestial Maiden, and protect this planet. So, she's our REAL Celestial Maiden."

The four girls, and Maka, watch Kurai and Ben, who float over the Tower.

"I remember," Kurai thinks. "Ben... I love you, Ben...

"My memory is coming back quickly. I'm drawn into your deep green eyes. Your planet. The star that hides hopes and dreams. Back then, I loved to watch that planet from the moon. I watched you when you found the Omnitrix. I used to come down, as a child, and help you. But, we couldn't meet like that. Why? Lunarians and Humans couldn't be together... We weren't supposed to love one another... But, it was too late."

Xxx

"Destroy the Moon!" Makajyu calls. "Bring me the Omni Crystal!" He turns. "Ben! Have you betrayed the Earth!? This is all for our prosperity!"

"Stop!" Ben calls. "You must stop! This is a useless fight! You aren't even from our planet! Kaguya and her people are peaceful!"

A man and woman ran from Makajyu's call. The woman raises her sword above her head. She brings it down. Kaguya screams as the blade cuts through Ben.

"Noooo! Ben!"

xxx

"Answer me!" Kurai pleads. "Open your eyes!" Tears streak down her face.

"I remember," she thinks. "You died for me...and I revived you back then...using that forbidden power; the Omni Crystal...but then my world died...and I lost everything...so I followed you here..."

"Ben!" she cries. "I can't do anything... I love you. You're the only one..."

A tear falls from her cheek into the air. A bright light glows from it. It slowly gets bigger and brighter as power streams out of it.

"What the-!?" Maka says

"It's so bright!" Swarm Queen calls. "I can't see anything!"

A man looks out his house window, and sees the dazzling light in the sky. "What's going on? Where's that coming from? It's night!"

Jyu watches. "That light...!?"

As the tear falls through the air, it transforms into a bright crystal.

"I see it!" Painted Lady calls. "The light...! Kurai-chan's tear crystallized! It's glowing!?"

"I don't believe it..." Ember Warrior says. "The Omni Crystal..."

"Damn!" Maka says. "I can't sustain this barrier anymore!" She transports back to the Makajyu.

"Look!" Battle Angel calls. "The Omni Crystal!"

As the crystal falls, the light comes out of it. The crystal lands in Kurai hands. The light moves into the body of Ben.

Then Jyu's voice shouts to Maka to steal the crystal and the Celestial Maiden but instead, Ben gets stolen away.

Xxx

Kurai sits in the Crown Karaoke, in her flowing gold and black dress, crying. Her head is buried in a soft pillow, rested on a table. The others watch her, concerned.

"Chaos..." Elena Valdez (Swarm Queen) says as she approaches her. "I mean, Princess Kaguya, Celestial Maiden. Do you remember?" Kurai looks up at Elena, who now wears a normal helmet. "Do you remember that I'm Swarm Queen? That I'm the real leader of the four soldiers of your royal guard... do you remember about our world on the moon?"

"I remember," Kurai says. She thinks to herself, "Ben...before I failed you...when we were happy...the Moon watched over the Earth, like an honor guard. I was glad to aid the human hero I had found...and then the Makajyu came, and stole the heart of the Omnitrix, the Omni Crystal. Without it, Ben lost his ability to fight and his memory. It now activates with its own will, and I fight alone as well...I was happy when we started fighting together, but I realize now that the Crystal must have called him to war, just as it did me...oh Ben, what have I done to you?"

"Ben," Painted Lady says. "You saved him then...at the cost of our whole world."

"You destroyed the entire world on the moon, just for his sake." Battle Angel said.

Kurai looked up in shock.

xxx

Maka hovered over Ben's dead body. She poured her magic into his form, but event that was not enough to call his soul back from within the Galaxy Cordon.

She ran a hand over his cheek. "Come back to me my beloved Ben."

His green eyes open. But they did not sparkle with mischief as they once did. They were cold, and lifeless, and dead.

Ben's body was alive, but his soul was gone. Maka did not care. He belonged to her now.

Xxx

Kurai was running, and she entered the Devil's Tree, the Makajyu.

She saw Ben lying on a marble slab and ran to him, crying.

He opened his eyes, sat up, and—his face began to melt off.

Maka laughed behind her.

Kurai woke screaming.

xxx

Elena met with the others.

"I admit that I was hoping I could spare her longer by pretending to be the Celestial Maiden." Elena said. "But that's all over now."

They went into Kurai's house, where she looked like she was preparing for war.

"I will save Ben." Kurai said. "I will defeat Maka and Jyu and all their minions. I promise."

Elena smiled. "First we have to go home. Back to our world—the Moon—to regain our memories."


	9. Moon

Kurai, and the soldiers are now making plans to go to the moon. Kurai is wearing the Omni Crystal as a pendant on a necklace around her neck. She appears to have matured, aged, and grown up. Her father, here on earth, comments that sometimes, Kurai seems like a different person. Somehow older. Finally, everyone gathers to go to the moon.

Everyone is gathered at the Crown Karaoke. "Are you all ready?" asks Elena. The girls nod. "Then let's go to the park."

"The park?"

"That's the place..." Kurai thinks. "Where I traded Ben for this watch. I always met him accidentally. He was so stubborn, and we always fought, but... With him I was so happy. I wish I could meet him once more..."

"Kurai?" says Kai.

Kurai buries her face in her hands. "I have to save him!" she thinks. "What can I do now...? Ben!"

The soldiers transform. Elena says some chant in a strange language, and all are transported to the Moon, and land in what Elena calls: the Sea of Tranquility.

Kurai looks up at the black sky. "The darkness is like velvet..." she thinks. "So quiet." She looks ahead. "The faded ruins... Crumbled... This is the moon." They approach the ruins. "The Capital of Moon," she thinks. "Where our kingdom was..."

"Those broken pillars," Julie says. "Is this where the shrine was?"

"Yes," says Elena. "The Moon Castle. And here is where the queen used to pray." The walk further along. "Here is the center of the Moon Castle. That is the tower of prayer, the Crystal Tower." A spire rises high above them, its top crumbled like the rest of the area.

Kurai looks at the ground in front of the tower. The hilt of a sword sticks out of the ground, its blade buried in the rock floor. "What's that?" she says.

All the soldiers try as hard to pull the stone sword out.

Elena grasps the hilt and pulls. The sword slowly slides out of the ground. Elena holds it up, a look of shock on her face. "A stone sword!?"

A small figure rises from the ground where the sword was stuck. She wears a smooth white dress with wings extending from the back. Her hair looks like Kurai's, with two ponytails extending from balls, that reach her feet.

"That is the holy blade, to protect the princess of legend," she says. "Painted Lady, Ember Warrior, Battle Angel, and Swarm Queen. You are the others. I called to you on Earth, as an incarnation of the moon goddess. Swarm Queen, you have done well in getting everyone here. I am the old ruler of the Moon, the Queen."

Kurai's eyes widen. "Mother...!?" she thinks. "From my previous life... My mother?" She kneels in front of the woman, who still only comes up to Kurai's chest.

"You're so pretty, Kaguya," the queen says. "I can see your figure. My body was destroyed, but when the Moon Castle's main computer wouldn't start, I started the sub-computer and left my spirit with it. My image is being generated by the computer. I had Swarm Queen emerge from her cold sleep. I contacted her and had her watch over you. I've been waiting for this time to come. But now everything is in ruins. Do you remember?"

Kurai thinks of the past as she listens to her Mother.

"When the Moon Castle was beautiful," the queen says. "The winds blowing inside the dome... But, Princess Kaguya, you longed for the real wind of nature. You often went to Earth. And then, you found love."

Xxx

Painted Lady grabs Princess Kaguya's hair. "Princess!"

"Did you sneak off to Earth again!?" Swarm Queen asks.

"You're the heir to the throne of the Moon," Battle Angel says, holding a stack of books. "You must study!"

Xxx

"Yes..." Kurai thinks. "I wanted to be with him. They were all watching me because I went to Earth so often."

"We were born on the moon," says Queen. "Our lives were long. The holy stone, the Omni Crystal, was handed down through generations. We removed the negative influences on Earth. We watched to make sure it evolved in a positive direction. One year... The sun's activity was too much. That abnormal sun created a terrible creature. It crept to Earth before we noticed it. It tried to take over Earth for itself. That creature... It was your enemy, a demon named Makajyu.

The girls stare in silence.

"I watched the huge power carried in the Omni Crystal," she continues. "That was how we lived long lives. The creature wanted the power. It took advantage of the humans. It manipulated people. Then it came to the moon. Only the young hero of Earth, Ben 10, tried to stop it. He was too late. He lost everything defending you. You were so overcome with sorrow... You destroyed everything as a result.."

Kurai's eyes water. "Do you remember? What happened..." The queen continues. "At last, I sealed it away. But, the Moon Castle had completely crumbled. Then the Earth was destroyed. Again we followed Earth's evolution from the beginning. That is the story of the past. But, the demon has been revived again. Now it is hidden somewhere on Earth. You must search for it. When I lost you back then, it was such a shock. I was confused, overcome with grief. With my weak spirit, I made the seal. That used the full power of the Infinity Soul. The seal became defective. I can't let that happen all over again. It's up to you! Use the true power of the stone. Seal the demon away, princess! Only you can do it!"

"The true power of the Omni Crystal?" Kurai thinks.

"Queen!" calls Elena. "There's something strange about the crystal! Its contents went into the body of Ben 10. After that, it lost its light."

"It contents went into his body!?" she says. "That's... Maybe... You need to save him, Princess Kaguya. Use your will. I know you're worried about him, but it's all right. He's alive. Don't worry."

Kurai sadly says ok.

"Princess Kaguya, remember. It all depends on you. You have strong faith, and deep love. Without that, the demon will triumph. Princess, as the warrior, you were proud and self-confident. You were born a girl on Earth, and the real answers are there. I must go now. Ember Warrior, Painted Lady, Battle Angel, and Swarm Queen. Please, work together to protect the Princess. I'm already out of power. I can't speak any more. Kaguya, be happy."

The Queen disappears with Kurai reaching out for calling after with tears in her eyes.

Kurai drops the crystal to the ground. Tears stream from her eyes. Elena kneels behind her, and rests her hand on Kurai's shoulder.

"The power of the Omni Crystal..." Kurai thinks. "It all depends on me."

The soldiers then form a circle and transport back to the earth.

The girls are encircled by light and rise up into space. Kurai looks down as they float down over Bellwood. "This isn't like the moon..." she thinks. "The lively sounds. The shining sea. The fresh wind. I dreamed of this planet. I watched over it."

xxx

Maka leans over Ben's body, her hand caressing his face.

"His body's spirit was destroyed..." she remarks about Ben.

Maka then looked at Ben: "Ben 10," she says, approaching him. He stares ahead blankly. "Now you are my puppet. Go above ground. Eliminate the princess. Bring me the Omni Crystal."


	10. Imposter

Ben has come the city now, has vaporized Kevin's friend and hypnotized Kevin into believing Ben is his best friend. He bumps into Kurai and she looks as he walks by and sees that he looks just like Ben. Later, she finds him at the Crown Game Center and sees that he is Ben. She begins to see him every day after school at the center.

Before this, the soldiers had a meeting over the Holy Sword that Swarm Queen now possesses. It has just broken a piece of diamond and Julie says:

"As you see," says Julie, "it broke the hardest substance into pieces. That sword isn't made of any ordinary stone. Since we brought it from the shrine on the moon, I've been examining it with Elena. Neither of us has seen anything like it. It has many special parts. I think it has some ability to build up power. It's stone part is extremely venomous. After Kurai- ...the princess committed suicide in her previous life, we were bathed in light. That's all I remember."

"It carried a special poison... The Moon Castle was on the Sea of Serenity. Once it was beautiful crystal palace. Our Moon Kingdom... Back then, the moon wasn't a desolate, dark star. It shined brightly. But the enemy turned it into a star of death."

They stop talking. They see Kurai laying on a couch, asleep. "Talking about this must be hard for Kurai," Kai says. "Because of Ben. And she saw her mom, the Queen, on the moon. Her spirit is tired." They carry her into another room and tuck her into a bed.

"We must learn how to seal away the evil enemy," says Elena. "We can use the holy blade of legend to defend the princess. We must locate the headquarters of the enemy. But there is a grave curse of this sword. I wonder how we can use it. How can we defeat the enemy and seal it away?"

Xxx

The soldiers came across the Crown Karaoke. They heard singing going on.

"There she is." Kai pointed.

"She's with someone." Julie observed.

"Isn't that Ben?" Elena said. "But somehow...not."

Ester shivered. "I get a bad feeling. We have to keep Kurai away from that man."

xxx

Kai approached Ben. "What have you been doing Ben?! Why are you bothering Kurai? How are you alive?"

Ben turned slowly and smiled; a dark, evil smile. His eyes were dark black and hypnotized Kai.

Wordlessly, she led him to the control room in the Karaoke Crown. He called Kevin in for back up and they set up a trap.

"Call your princess." Ben snarled.

Kai obediently called Kurai, and she went to the Command center to help her friend, only to be attacked by Ben.

"Ben?!" Kurai said. "You hypnotized Kai? You're trying to steal the Omni Stone?!"

She finally snapped, furious, and hit him hard with her power. "WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO YOU!?"

Swarm Queen defended by holding Kevin at bay and attacking him.

"What are you doing?" Ben says. "Get off me!" He throws Kurai against the wall. She hits it hard and falls to the ground.

"Chaos!?" Swarm Queen rushes over to her. She kneels beside Chaos. "Chaos!?" She doesn't respond. "No..." Swarm Queen sees blood on the floor beneath the princess. "No! Kurai!"

The crystal begins to glow in Ben's hand. "The Omni Stone!?"

The light pours into Kurai and heals her. He looks relieved.

"I won't allow this. You impostor! I see what you really are. I will SAVE YOU" The Omni Stone's light flows at Ben, surrounding him. Maka appears in the light behind him.

"Ben," Maka says. "You have done well. Now that I have the Omni Stone, I don't have any business with you girls. This place will be your tomb!" She looks at Chaos.

"Chaos... We meet again. You're still a weak, childish young girl. I am Maka. Celestial Maiden, have you always wanted to kill Ben?"

"Ben!?" Kurai thinks shocked. "It can't be... Can it!? Can it really be... Ben!?"


	11. Death

"Ben!?" she calls out. "He's alive!? Ben!?"

"Is it you?" she thinks. "Those cold eyes... Doesn't he recognize me!? Could he be under control!? Has he become a tool of the Darkness? ... Has he become a tool of this Maka? He came... to steal the Omni Stone from me!?"

"No!" she shouts. "Look at me! Ben! Ben!?"

"Princess," says Maka, "your prince doesn't exist anymore. I just put the power of the Omni Stone into the dead prince's body. And with the power from Prince Ben, we will resurrect me completely. He has been blessed with the power. He is the Darkness' finest soldier!"

"Dead body!?" Kurai thinks. "Dead!? Impossible. It's impossible!"

Ben and Maka blow up the ceiling of the arcade and form a warp hole. The Maka and Ben are pulled into the black warp. "No matter where it is," she says, "the fight will be the same." A part of her hair whips out and wraps around Kurai's neck.

"I've been waiting a long time for this," Maka says. "Now tell me! The secret of the Omni Stone! It was passed down to the Moon Capital... The legendary Omni Stone."

She tightens her grasp on Kurai. "Where is the infinite power!? Give me the power, for eternal youth, and unequaled strength!"

Kurai moans. "Priestess!" Elena calls.

"I had been waiting, since ancient times," Maka says. "One day I saw an extraordinary meteor shower at dawn. In that disastrous year... A gigantic lump appeared on the sun, from an evil black spot. It shot off and came down with the meteor shower. It was born on Earth. I awakened then."

"I awakened as the goddess Maka. Ever since then, I've been waiting..."

"Let the princess go!" Elena says. "Maka... Maka... I remember... You...! You manipulated the people of Earth. Agitated them. You came to attack the capital on the moon. You did it all so recklessly. You sold your soul to the devil of the Darkness. I remember it clearly... And then, what you did... To the princess, and Prince Ben..."

Kaguya screams as the blade cuts through Ben.

Swarm Queen grabs her sword and swings it at Maka, slicing through her chest. "And you've been reincarnated in this age..."

"That annoying Queen banished me to the bottom of the earth," says Maka.

"You don't have to become a demon!" Elena says.

"But, I will become supreme in this universe. Then, we can rule again! Ha ha! We have the Omni Stone and the princess now. We need wait no longer for the revival of the growing leader. I, Maka, will rule all. I'll be the true queen, with my new companion, Prince Ben!"

"No..." Kurai cries. The hair holds tight around her neck. "No! Ben!"

Swarm Queen and Painted Lady try to cut the hair strangling Kurai. They both try to lift the heavy sword. They fail. Then try again and cut the hair but Kurai is still entangles.

"The moon!" calls Elena. "Our capital." She raises the sword high. "With the strength of my old life!"

"Ben!" Kurai cries. "Ben! I'll win you back!"

The crystal begins to glow in his hand.

Elena clutches the sword and charges.

The sword pierces Maka through the stomach and begins to glow. She screams as blood flows out of her wound.

"The sword!?" Elena thinks. "That light..." "I finally had you..." thinks Maka. "Prince Ben..."

Maka remembers being young, and watching from afar as Ben and Kaguya embrace.

"I've always been watching you." Her face contorts, her body begins to disintegrate. "Always." Maka's tiara drops to the floor.

Elena stares at the glowing sword. She reads the words on the sword. "'When the sword glows... the princess will be the queen. The spirit of the Omni Stone will appear. It will become complete. It will become great. The power of the Moon Capital will awaken. Give a prayer at the Prayer Tower. Pray that the Moon Capital will have peace again...'" Elena collapses, and Ben rushes and grabs her and enters the black portal with her and the sword. Kurai is also taken into the portal hole. Just as the others chase after to save Kurai and Elena, the portal closes.

The soldiers learn that Kurai, Ben, and Elena have been transported to the Arctic. They also transport there. All find a castle. Kurai has followed Ben all the way there.

Torches light the walls of the castle. "Where is this...? Dark... And so cold..." Kurai thinks.

"So you followed all this way."

Kurai looks up and sees Ben standing over her.

Elena lies unconscious on the floor beside him, next to the sword.

He slowly walks toward Kurai.

"Ben..." she says. "Ben... It's me. Kaguya."

He holds up the Omni Stone. Its light glows on his face, shining on his white eyes. The crystal fades away. He touches his hands to her face. He leans his head close to hers. He grabs Kurai by the neck and lifts her in the air. Kurai screams. He glares at her, his eyes black. He holds up the crystal.

"Tell me! If this is the Omni Stone, why does it give out no power? Besides this tiny piece and that sword, is there another Omni Stone with more power!?"

"No-..." says Kurai, as his grip tightens around her neck.

"What is this great power of the Priestess!? Is it power carried by another Omni Stone!? Where is that!?"

"This can't be..." thinks Kurai. "This person, doing this..."

She reaches for the crystal in his hand. As she touches it, a blinding light flashes from it, knocking her back onto the floor.

Now Julie, Kai, and Ester appear. "Kurai! Swarm Queen!", they yell.

A dark, gaseous entity appears from all around him. "Carrier of the blood of the Moon Capital," it says. "So you've come this far, to this closed empire of the Darkness. You have killed my beloved. I am Makaijyu, and poor Maka is healing inside my body. I am the Jyu part of her. Maka and I are one."

The girls step back. "Is this Maka and Jyu's true form? Makaijyu? Our ultimate enemy!?"

Ben thrusts his arm forward, and the girls are blown against the wall. Battle Angel appears before them, and blocks his attack.

"Kurai-chan!" Battle Angel says. "His being this strong is due to the power of the Omni Stone taken in by his body."

Elena sits up, holding the sword.

"Listen carefully," says Painted Lady. "What is written on the sword is the method for the seal. To seal away that demon, Makaijyu, the complete form of the Omni Stone is necessary. Using the power of Kurai-chan's spirit, take the contents of the Omni Stone absorbed into him before, and return it to inside the crystal! That will be the complete form. Then, using that as a switch, open the power! You must seal away Makaijyu and vanquish it! That time has come, Makaijyu!"

"Power, you say?" says Makaijyu. "The infinite power of the Omni Stone? Where is it!? The source of the power! Give it to me!"

"It is the power to bury you, Makaijyu!" says Battle Angel.

"Thoughtless, weak, know-nothing priestess. Are you the one who can seal me away? Heh heh... Your corpse will lie eternally in the Darkness."

Julie as she draws her arms together to attack.

"Battle Angel!" yells Kurai.

The attack is drawn into the darkness.

"Heh heh..." says Makaijyu. "More, more energy!"

"It didn't work!?" says Julie. "That's...!?"

"What can we do!" says Kai. "We don't have a chance like this. How can we even attack Ben...!"

"He's being reborn now as another personality!" says Elena. "He's the same as Makaijyu! We have to get him back!"

She brings her arms together over her head and nanomachines pools in her fingertips.

"Swarm Queen, no!" calls Kurai.

The attack shoots at Ben.

He raises his hand and the attack dissipates. Elena is knocked back onto the floor.

"Swarm Queen!" calls Kurai. She holds up her sword. Power blasts at Ben, surrounding him.

He grips the crystal before his black eyes. "It's useless," he says. "You cannot beat me."

"Whatever I do," thinks Kurai, "he won't return to his old self!? I have to defeat Makaijyu. But to do that, I have to take out the power of the Omni Stone from inside him..."

"It seems the power was absorbed by the dead prince's body," said Makaijyu, "but he never awakened. It's futile. The prince was resurrected with my power!"

"Is he a different person now!? Can I do nothing but defeat him!? Kill him...?" She starts to cry. "No... No!" As she holds her head, supersonic waves form from her two balls of hair. The waves shake Ben as he holds the crystal. A ball of light emerges from his body, and floats into the crystal.

"Ben and the Omni Stone," says Julie, "are reflecting the chaos in Kurai-chan's heart, and resonating...!"

"Kurai-chan's heart..." says Ester, "is controlling the power of the Omni Stone?"

Kurai looks at Ben. He stares back at her, his hands glowing. Power blasts at her and the others, knocking them back.

"Queen..." thinks Kurai. "Tell me... I can't do it..."

_"There is no one but you who can do it!"_ said the queen. _"Please, take pride and self-confidence in being the princess and the soldier of justice, Chaos."_

Kurai stands up. "I can't stand to see him like this...Is there nothing I can do but this?" She picks up the sword. "Is this... our destiny having been reborn?" She lunges at Ben. She swings the sword across his chest. Blood sprays as he reaches his hand out. He holds her head close to his. He looks at her with white eyes. They close their eyes, and kiss deeply.

"Ben..."

Kurai holds out the sword, and plunges it into her own chest.

"Ben... I love you. You are the first and only one I've fallen in love with. Even if we are reborn, I will surely meet you again. We will surely fall in love again."

The others look on in horror at Kurai, as she falls past Ben.

"Ben... We will cross time, and be reborn... And next time... We will be happy... Ben..."

"Priestess!" calls Elena. "Oh no..." Her eyes water. "We were not reborn to live this moment again...! Is this our unavoidable destiny?"

Kurai and Ben collapse on the ground. The sword hits the floor with a clang.

"Noooo!" shouts Elena. "Are we only repeating our former lives?"


	12. Rebirth

The crystal floats in the air, and joins with the light from Ben.

"The Omni Stone..." says Ahiru. "It's returning to its complete form!?"

It shines brightly. A chamber of crystal appears around the two bodies, sealing them inside.

Then darkness grows. It is Makaijyu. It embraces the crystal and swallows Kurai and Ben inside.

As Makaiju grows, the soldiers realize there is only one way try and help to defeat Makaiju - by sacrificing their lives. By doing so, they will unleash the ultimate power of all their planets. They all pray to the Princess to wake up, to be alive, and to save them all. They combine their powers with their pens. There is a blast. And four soldiers lie dead on the ground.

Moon, in the distant past

Kaguya sneaks around a pillar.

"Found you! Princess!" says Swarm Queen. "Going to see the prince again? I know you're infatuated, but approaching him... it's dangerous!"

"It is not infatuation!" says Kaguya. "Swarm Queen... Being that you've never truly fallen in love..." She sticks out her tongue. "You don't know my feelings!"

She runs off.

"Princess!" says Swarm Queen. "Oh... I have too..."

On the Past Earth now..

Swarm Queen grabs Kaguya.

"Princess! Did you come here again!? Come on, we're going home."

"It must be tough having a princess so full of curiosity," says Kevin.

Swarm Queen sighs.

"Brother!" says Ben.

"Swarm Queen?" says Battle Angel.

Swarm Queen shakes her head.

"I'm worried," she says. "That watching over Earth, protecting the Omni Stone, and one day becoming queen... Even though she's in love, she may get hurt."

Xxx

Princess Kaguya is now thinking with Ben beside her:

"Feeling the wind blow here, looking at the sea like this... It gives me peace of mind."

Ben turns to her. "When you look from the moon, what does this planet look like?"

"It looks like a blue crystal ball," says Kaguya.

They kiss under the moonlight.

"Ben... So warm... When I'm with you, my spirit instantly becomes clear... I fill with strength... I want to be with you always... Like this for eternity..."

They look out and see darkness in the distance.

"Those..." says Kaguya. "What are those black clouds?"

"I don't know," says Ben. "For some time there has been darkness over there, and clusters of huge monoliths have appeared. And they gradually spread over the planet..."

At the End of the Past

Cosmos' army attacks the palace.

Ben stands in front of Kaguya, his sword drawn.

"Stop!" he says. "You must not have such strife and hatred!"

As Maka raises her sword, a black cloud of energy forms behind her.

Kaguya screams as the blade cuts through Ben.

"Ben!"

She picks up the sword, and plunges it into her own chest.

Her four soldiers gasp.

"Princess!"

The Queen sees the tragedy:

"I had a feeling this love would end in sorrow. Love should not bind partners from the different planets, Earth and the moon..."

The Queen sees the princess, her four soldiers, and Ben lying on the ground, lifeless.

Tears fall from her eyes.

"I'll confine that demon... And along with this moon, seal everything... I will entrust you to the future!"

Princess Kaguya was thinking as death takes over:

"Ben... Next time, we will be reborn on the same planet, and we will be happy. Omni Stone entrusted to me... Please, search for us together... Embrace me softly... Protect us, and next time, make us happy..."

Present day

Kurai opens her eyes. Darkness surrounds her.

"Where is this...? It's dark, and cold... Such darkness. Am I alive...? Am I dreaming?"

A shining crystal appears in front of her. "The Omni Stone..."

She sees a body next to her. "Ben?" She touches her chest.

"I... The wound from piercing my chest is..."

She pulls out the Omnitrix, chipped and cracked.

"I put it against my chest... Ben's watch... It's in pieces... Did it take the sword for me!?"

A tear streaks down her cheek. "It's not a dream... Was I the only one brought back to life? This is..." The tear runs off her face and lands on the glowing crystal.

The crystal spreads open like a flower, shining brightly.

She then hears voices of hatred and spite, anger coming from the people of earth. She realizes she is INSIDE Makaiju.

"Have you awakened!? Carrier of the blood of the Moon! What is this power of life, impudent one! Heh heh... But you are now in my hands, and I will crush you!" Makaiju yells.

"No!" thinks Kurai. "I have to get out of here!" She holds the glowing crystal.

"Ohh!? The insides of my body are hot! What are you doing!"

She appears outside on the rocky ground. "I made it out!?" she thinks. "We were enveloped in the Omni Stone!?"

Kurai holds Ben's hand in hers.

"His hand..." she says. "Your hand... It's getting warmer!? Ben?"

He slowly opens his eyes. "Chaos?"

Her eyes water. "Ben...! It's a miracle...!"

He holds his hands in front of his black eyes.

"I can't see... anything..." he says.

"Ben!?" she cries. "It can't be...! Your eyes!?"

The cloud of darkness approaches behind Kurai. She turns around. "Makaiju!?"

She holds the crystal up, and blinding light blasts at the darkness.

"Such strong power!" it says. "Much, much greater power than the mass I took in! Give it to me! That Omni Stone! That power!"

"It's getting bigger and bigger," thinks Kurai. "Why!? Can't I seal this thing away with the Omni Stone!? Is there still not enough power!?"

"Kurai-chan!" calls Ahiru.

"Hold yourself together, Chaos!" says Elena.

"Ahiru! Everyone, where are you!? I don't have the allies who are always with me to encourage me! I came to fight together, but... Where!? Where are you!? Not... In this thing...!?"

Kurai blasts more power into the darkness.

"Chaos!?" calls Ben.

"It's no use," she thinks. "I can't make the seal. By myself I don't have the strength!"

"I feel it," thinks Ben. "Chaos... Your pain... I will feel it too, to take it off you..."

She turns and looks at him.

"Bring out your usual cheer!" he says. "Don't cry! Have confidence in yourself. Your allies must be thinking that as well. It's all right. If they're your allies, surely they are watching you somewhere."

He holds her face. "Use all your strength. If your strength isn't enough, I will give my strength to you. In place of your allies, I will help you. I'll always be by your side, Kaguya."

"Ben..." She touches her hand to his.

"He always gives me his strength," she thinks. "I, and the Omni Stone... I can't believe it... We're filling with courage, and strength... Rapidly... Becoming strong..."

"Ohh!" says Makaiju. "So you can manipulate at will the power of the Omni Stone! This one little girl! The power of the Infinity Stone! I will not let you confine me! I will smash you to pieces! I will crush you!"

"No, Makaiju!" Kurai grabs her sword. The sword lengthens into a spear, the crystal floating over it. "You are the one who will be dust of darkness!"

Ben looks up at the sky. "I can see the moon..." he thinks. "Shining with white!"

Kurai holds up the crescent rod as the crystal glows. The full moon shines down on her.

"I, Chaos and Princess Kaguya, now with the strength of the moon, I will seal you away!"


	13. Finale

The shining flower-shaped Omni Crystal locks on to the crystal spear. Power blasts forth. The cloud of darkness continues approaching.

"Cosmos is unaffected!?" cries Kurai.

"Chaos!" calls Ben. "Don't hesitate! Pray! Use all your strength! Waken the great power of the moon... Pray to the sacred tower of the moon... For peace..."

"I won't give up!" she thinks. "Stronger! Power! Great power of the moon! Awaken! I put in the strength of all my heart and soul! To that thing's weak spot!"

The sword and the four souls of the soldiers rise into the air. Their power shoots into the sky, toward the moon.

Xxx

"Prayer," says Ahiru. "Prayer is making the Omni Crystal... grow!? This power! Can it be...!"

She senses Kurai's spirit. "Kurai...! Kurai is fighting on the surface! She's praying! Together with Kurai...! Make us one! Now open the great power of the moon!"

xxx

Ben looks up into the sky, squinting. Bright light shines down.

"This white light is pouring into my blind eyes... The true brilliance of the moon. The same brilliance as the Omni Crystal!"

"Ohh!" says Cosmos. "This brilliance of the moon! This is it! The enormous power I have been searching for!" The light shines on the cloud of darkness. "I can't reach it! What pressure! My body... is being broken through!"

"Begone!" says Kurai. She holds up the crystal spear. "With the power of this sacred light! Turn to dust!"

Light shines from the crystal to the mark on Cosmos' forehead. Cosmos screams as the light penetrates. The cloud of darkness blasts apart into nothingness.

Kurai's eyes widen and she falls forward. Her power winks out and she faints.

xxx

Ahiru's spirit returns to her body and she returns to the moon. The old beautiful palace stands restored before them. "Kurai Omni Crystal led it... It was resurrected with the great power of the moon." Ahiru says.

Xxx

The wind blows around Ben as he looks into the sky. "I don't feel the strong light of the moon that was just here," he thinks. "Has it returned to the normal, subdued light of the moon? I wonder if it saved this planet."

He feels the ground. "The world... It's only a little injured. If it's like this... It will be all right."

He sees Kurai lying on the ground. "Chaos?" He lifts her in his arms.

"Her body's... cold... Did she use up her strength? All of her strength..."

He leans down and kisses her deeply on the lips.

Her eyes slowly open. She looks into his white eyes.

"I can see..." he says. "Your face... I can see it clearly!"

"Ben?"

"Kaguya!"

"Ben...! We're together... Finally! Ben...! I'm so glad...! Ben..."

"Kurai... I've always wanted to hold you like this, Kurai."

"We were born here to bind together."

"Kaguya."

"Ben."

She looks at him.

"Ben, I love you... We won't be apart anymore."

She hears the voices of her friends.

"Kurai..."

"Kurai..."

"We're glad..."

"Everyone...!" says Kurai. She turns around. "Everyone? My allies?" She looks over the empty field. "Where are you?"

Ben takes her hand. "It's all right. I'll search."

"Ben?" He presses his hand to the ground.

"I can see," she thinks. "Holding his hand, images of this planet... Ben, this is your power, isn't it. This is your power from this planet."

The four warriors lie dead on the ground.

Kurai gasps. "Everyone!? No... It can't be...!"

"Kurai? Kurai, can you hear me?"

"Ahiru!? she says. "Ahiru, is that you!? Where are you!?"

"The moon. Kurai, come to the moon."

"Ahiru! What about them all!? Oh no, did Cosmos!? I have to save them all! Ahiru, I don't have any power anymore..."

She holds the shattered Omni Crystal in her hands.

"You can make it to the moon now, Kurai. Pray to the Omni Crystal that's become one with the crystal sword."

She picks up the sword.

Ben holds her.

"To the moon!"

Kurai gasps.

"The Moon Castle...!"

"That's right, Kurai," says Ahiru. "The Moon has been resurrected. The master of the Castle is you. Kurai, you will be the new Queen Kaguya. The new queen!"

"Ahiru..." says Kurai. "But I have to go home, where my mom and dad are waiting. I may be Kaguya, but... I am Kurai. The Earth where Ben is, is now the place where I am."

"Kurai," says Ahiru.

The small image of the queen appears on the ground before the tower.

"Queen!?"

"Please be happy, Kaguya," she says. "This time, with the one you love."

The image vanishes.

On the floor in front of the tower, the Omni Crystal appears, whole again. Kurai bends down and picks it up.

It glows and shines.

Kurai stares at Earth through space. She raises the crystal sword with the Omni Crystal.

"Heal..."

She heals everyone on earth. The four warriors rise up, alive once more. All the humans of earth get up as if they had just had a strange dream. Kurai sees her beloved friends. She runs into their arms.

"I thought I might never see you again!" Tears fall from their eyes as they embrace.

The sun is coming up and they all return to their homes. Victorious.

xxx

The next morning, the girls greet each other as they pass.

Kurai enters the Park with a smile.

She sneaks up behind the bench.

She leans down and kisses Ben on the cheek.

"You're late," he says, smiling. "I bet you were in trouble again."

"No, I was not!" says Kurai. "Look! Your pocket watch." She holds it out. "I had it all fixed up."

She reaches up and shows him.

"See? It's moving, isn't it!"

They touch lips, close their eyes, and kiss deeply.


End file.
